Steam Train
by Prince Jacque
Summary: "...the name was her idea. As cheesy as it was, I couldn't help but fall in love with it immediately..."
1. Chapter 1

**Genres: Sci-fi, Yuri/Shojo-ai, Romance, Drama, Tragedy, Sex Swap.**

**Warnings/Potential Triggers: blood, explicit sexual content, homophobia, misogyny, profanity, violence.**

**This is based somewhat on DRAMAtical Murder, so if you enjoyed that game/anime, then I hope you'll like this as well. And yes, you read those genres and warnings right. This is gonna be a serious story _and_ a Game Grumps fan fiction. If you're familiar my other fem!Youtuber story "Attack on Google+", then you know not to expect the gender bends to be exact copies of the Game Grumps…and why that's so.**

**Set in the near-future with changing POV's.**

* * *

><p>Limbo.<p>

That's the only word I can use to describe the state I was in.

My body was encased in this thick atmosphere that left me just floating there. My head felt stuffed and my senses where dull. It was as if I was underwater. Anything that came to me was murky, blurred, unclear. Yet, in spite of all of this, I was at peace. My breath was steady and my heart beat to a soothing rhythm. I had drifted there for god knows how long, minutes, hours, days? I didn't give a single damn.

However, at some point, I heard_ his_ voice.

I opened my eyes, not even recalling the last time I had even blinked.

Within my murky void, a shape moved about. I couldn't define its colors, nor its shape. It moved, but I could not decipher what it was trying to accomplish. However, I could point out one thing: a band of orange hair.

Suddenly, something sparked within me and snapped me out of my peaceful trance. An urgency within me pushed me to seek out the shape. I needed to get to it. I _had_ to.

I began to advance towards it, but once I got close enough to reach my hand out and grab it, it became hard to breathe. I started to…drown.

* * *

><p>A shrill gasp broke through my throat as I was yanked into wake. My chest rose and fell as I hurried to take in oxygen. Finally, my breathing began to calm once I realized I was no longer in the airless place. I was lying in a padded bed with warm sheets over me.<p>

Although, the bed was not mine.

I sat up and scratched an irritated spot on my leg where the hospital gown didn't fit well. I was thankful that today would be my last day in here. The food was pretty nice, but I was getting cabin fever from sitting in this one spot all day with nothing to watch on TV. I just wanted to get back home for hell's sake.

As I was groveling about in my impatience, I heard the door begin to creak open.

"Hm? Ariana, are you up?"

I grinned at the sound of the voice "Yes, Jane," I answered.

The young woman walked into the room with an expectant smile on her pink lips. She had two indigo hair clips pinned in her short chocolate tussles. The seasons were changing and she had worn a black jacket over her black blouse, which had breast pockets over her large bust. The dog collar choker I gave her only accented her beautiful cleavage. Her grey skirt rode up when she sat down and crossed her legs, clearly proud to show off her tanned hiking boots. With all the dark colors she wore, it would be easy to mistake her for a classic goth girl, but she's just the opposite.

"Tch, it's weird to see you without Jacqueline on your shoulder," I commented.

"As if they'd allow TechPets in the hospital," said Jane.

"They let you take them everywhere else," I objected.

Jane sighed serenely, her copper eyes gazing out into the window "So, it's your last day here," she said "Excited to come home?"

"Hell yeah!" I said, stretching my arms over my head, which I neglected to do when I first woke up "Y'know, since it's my last day, this is also your last chance."

Jane quirked an eyebrow "_My_ last chance?"

I fixed her with a smirk and pulled the blanket from my legs, positioning the hem of my hospital gown into a makeshift thigh split dress and posing seductively "To take me when the nurses aren't here."

Jane chuckled, despite a pink flush rushing to her face "I've come in everyday to check on you and every single time, you've asked me to do you in this hospital bed," she said "If anything, you should just be grateful I have the time to see you at all."

"I _am_ grateful," I confirmed "I just miss having you around, is all," I said the last statement seating myself on my knees and making grabbing motions towards Jane.

The other female only rolled her eyes "You miss having me around to sleep with."

"That," I said, flopping back against the hospital bed "And I miss having you around in general."

Jane placed a hand to her heart with an endearing expression "How sweet," she said with a lick of sarcasm lacing her words.

We chatted for a few hours in wait for the doctors to give me the final okay that would send me back home. Despite our silliness and debates over which TV channel to watch, I could tell both Jane and I knew we were ignoring a major elephant in the room. For all of those hours, neither one of us had dared to even acknowledge its presence. I was glad we had and I hoped we could keep it that way.

"It feels good to finally be back in my old clothes again," I said as Jane and I strode down the hallway.

"I'm sure you won't be saying that when we get outside with those flip-flops," she said.

As we approached the elevator, I took a glance at my orange flip-flop clad feet and muttered a curse.

"Those capris and short sleeves may be a problem, too," teased Jane "Autumn is coming, Ari."

The elevator's chipper ding signaled the door's opening and we stepped inside, but not without me landing an aggressive smack on Jane's ass.

The other female replied with a surprised yelp, of course, as she stumbled into the elevator. I only chuckled "Check your skirt length before you deck on my outfit choice, hon," as I calmly stepped inside and clicked the button for the ground level.

When I turned around, Jane bore an expression of both irritation and fluster.

"Lighten up, Jane," I said, slinging an arm around her shoulders "As if I'd pull that shit if someone was in the elevator."

I faintly heard her grumble a "Tch, better not," through a grin.

Luckily the door opened almost right before the hospital exit. The sight of sunshine leaking through the windows only reminded me of my newfound freedom. I felt nearly fifty pounds lighter.

"Geez, Ari, you were only in there for three days," said Jane, who I could only assume had seen an expression on my face that I hadn't even realized I was making.

"Whatever," I said as I walked through the door she had opened the door for me "Let's hit Panda Express before we get home!"

"Again?" groaned Jane, catching up to face me with a cringe.

"C'mon," I whined, shaking her shoulders playfully "I just got home from the hospital. Don't I at least deserve a treat?"

Jane sighed and patted my hand lovingly "Eh, I guess so…"

After no more than a few steps away from the hospital entrance, a crisp wind hit us, creeping shivers up my figure.

"Goddamn, it's cold…" I muttered, rubbing my bare arms in an attempt to arouse heat.

Almost immediately, the feeling of warm leather shrouded my shoulders. Jane patted me on the back assuringly as the other hand twirled around the keys to her car.

I caressed the fabric that once touched the other female, enjoying the scent that stuck to it "Thanks," I said.

"No problem," Jane replied, beeping the car unlocked.

* * *

><p>After we ate, we "ate" again. However, the second meal ended in Jane crying out my name as she gripped my scalp with her fingers tangling in my hair.<p>

The sounds of our panting joined the scents of sweat and sex in the atmosphere of our room. I wrapped the comforter around my half nude body in a sort of blanket cocoon and whistled a long note "Damn, I missed this."

I blew a lock of my brown hair from my eye "And I'm sure you did, too."

Jane chuckled breathlessly. Yup, she missed that.

Jane and I had a special type of relationship. We weren't girlfriends, but we were still friends. "Fuck buddies" is what I called it, but Jane prefers "Friends with Benefits" because she says it sounds cuter. People would call us a couple if they knew about us, though. I mean, we live together and we're pretty close. Hell, we even share a bedroom, but we're nothing more than friends. The sex was there, but no romance. If she were to come to me and say she found a girlfriend, I would support her and we would go back to being celibate friends.

Jane crawled over to me and sat on the edge of our large bed, the sheet wrapped around her like an elegant garb "Ariana."

I noticed some uncertainty in her voice, as if she had been refraining from saying the words that would leave her lips next.

"We have to talk about the…incident," she said, pausing to find the right word to address the issue.

I knew exactly what she was talking about. Sighing, I said "It was just a freak accident."

"You got a concussion," Jane bluntly stated, something I rarely hear from the sweet woman.

"I'm not downplaying it," I argued "I'm just saying nothing like that would happen again."

Her copper eyes narrowed.

"At least…not frequently," I said.

She sighed and brushed some of her tussled bangs out of her eye. There was a pregnant pause between us as I waited for her to think of an answer. It felt like forever.

"I'm not saying you should quit Steam," she said "I mean, "freak accidents" never stopped athletes from doing what they love."

I swear I had turned my head to her so fast that I could have gotten whiplash. Was she really letting me off the hook this easily?

"But..."

Uh oh.

"That doesn't mean they don't take a hiatus," Jane glanced at me "Consider yourself an athlete in this case."

I exhaled a heavy breath of relief and hissed "Yes!" Snuggling up to Jane's sheet-clad thigh, I said "So how long's my break? Three weeks? Two?"

"A month."

"What?!"

"It was a concussion, Ariana!"

I rolled onto my back with a distressed groan "Why does this have to happen to me?"

"Relax, it's not that big of a deal," said Jane.

"Easy for you to say."

Jane snickered and adjusted the sheet on her body "Well I have to admit, it's gonna be lonely without you in Steam with me."

"You just love rubbing this is my face, don't you?" I snarked "What am I even gonna do all day while you're gone?"

Jane smiled "I'm glad you asked," she stood up from the bed, the white sheet looking even more like a queen's gown as it trailed behind her. I turned back onto my stomach to get a better view of what she was doing. I could see that she was approaching our dresser, which held our undergarments. An idea of what she had in mind sent an alarm straight between my thighs.

However, when she returned, she had her tablet in her hand. It had been turned on, but that was all.

"I'm gonna read the news?" I flatlined.

"Nope," said Jane, a smile playing on her lips that held hints of mischief as she tampered with the device. Finally, after a few seconds of my impatience swelling, the young woman turned the tablet towards me.

On the screen was… "Job applications?" I questioned.

Jane nodded, still not speaking.

I chuckled "Heh, I'm not sure whether to take this as an insult or not," I said.

"Well you're always talking about how you never got the chance to get a job," said Jane "So if you're gonna take it as anything, take it as a favor," as I scrolled, she continued to speak "Plus, it's a way to keep you entertained, am I wrong?"

I returned to my position lying on my back, turning the tablet upside down to read it "No, you're right…"

It was a really nice gesture-although laced in sarcasm because that's just the kinda chick Jane is-but still, trading virtual gaming for a job requiring hard work wasn't my ideal situation. However, I knew she was right. We had only gotten to live this fancy life through our Steam careers. With me on break, I'm gonna have to find another source of income.

I hadn't even realized that I had been scrolling the list of job openings for nearly an hour until Jane came back fully dressed in her day clothes again and asked "Hey, do you think I should change my Steam outfit?"

I glanced up at her, my eyes stinging slightly from tearing them away from the screen "No, I've always liked it."

Jane shrugged at my response and flicked on her Steam Engine "Later," was the last thing I heard before a whirl of pink pixels whisked her away into the digital world.

Then I was alone and bored…again.

I figured that I could step outside and take a walk now that I had the freedom to stretch my legs for once. The idea pleased me, so I tossed away my comforter cocoon to get ready.

* * *

><p><strong>[new POV]<strong>

I tapped my foot anxiously as I awaited the elevator "Hurry the hell up," I muttered to the inanimate object. And in that moment, I was confident that I was perfectly sane.

Finally, the door opened with its mechanical shifting sounds following behind. I sighed in relief and stepped inside. However, ice ran through my veins when my eyes set on a young woman.

She was about my age, if not older, and had a body to die for. She had a stunningly curvaceous build with well developed hips and thighs filling out her tanned capris and large breasts stretching her pink T-shirt just enough to show a small slither of her stomach.

When I allowed my gaze to move upwards, I was even more stunned.

The woman had chestnut brown hair parted down the middle with slight waves that rested on her collar bone and a single bang of orange hair. She had expressive brown eyes and naturally light pink lips. All in all, the entire package looked like she was a character created for the role of the perfect woman.

She twitched an eyebrow at me, making me realize that I had been awkwardly standing right before the door instead of finding a comfortable place to stand in the elevator like she had. I casually made my way over to the other side and leaned on the railing placed there. Unfortunately, that didn't get rid of the awkward tension in the air.

"Do you do that to all girls?" she asked, her voice surprisingly confident.

Confused, I asked "What?"

"Stare at their tits," she answered flatly.

I could immediately feel heat rushing to my cheeks "I-I was looking at your shirt," the embarrassment in my words didn't help defend my case.

"Sure, doll face."

The effeminate pet name irked me, especially coming from a complete stranger like herself. Just who the hell did she think she was?

"Look, I'm accepting of all sexualities, but I'd love it if you didn't ogle me like a piece of meat," I hated how she said this while examining her pink nail polish as if it were more interesting than me.

"I'm not gay," I said "And I wasn't checking you out."

"And this is naturally carrot orange," she yanked on her orange bang of hair "Now we're both liars."

I honestly couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. A perfect stranger like her was literally giving me hell. Although, I genuinely couldn't be angry with her. Even though her entire body was something to marvel at, I _was_ primarily staring at her rack, meaning she did have a reason to call me out. Still, I couldn't let her have my pride.

"Don't be so cocky," I said "If I was trying to pick up a date, I could do much better than you."

A part of me felt like I had crossed the line, but I wasn't the kind of girl to fear causing a fight. However, most of my guilt stemmed from lying to myself. There was no way I could do better than her.

I watched her face for signs of anger, but instead, her lips curled in a smile as a snicker slipped through. I wasn't sure whether to take it as a good or bad sign.

She sauntered over to me, seemingly draining my confidence and absorbing it into her being with every step. I shivered as she whispered into my ear "Doll face, you couldn't have me even if you wanted."

The woman exited the elevator, whose doors I hadn't even had opened.

I watched her hips sway as her figure dove deeper and deeper into the hallway, the heat in my body simmering.

I managed to get my legs to carry me out of the elevator before it could close and trap me like a helpless captor.

Goddamn...

A vibrating sensation buzzed in my back pocket, just barely bringing me out of my haze. Without looking away, I dug my hand into my jeans pocket and pulled out my cell phone.

When I brought it to my ear, Rose's voice answered "_Where are you?_"

"I'm doing great, Rose. Thanks for asking."

"_Sorry, Dani._"

I sighed "No, it's cool. I was the one stalling," I said "Are you still in the parking lot?"

"_Yeah, just come on out whenever you're ready._"

"'kay."

I ended the call, the uneasiness subsided by the sound of my friend's voice. One bad experience from a stranger in an elevator shouldn't disturb me for any longer than the time it occurred. So I wouldn't allow it to.

I soon found this task easier said than done.

* * *

><p><strong>The first chapter is short for certain reasons, but I can assure you that the others will be longer. For now, this is just a vague introduction.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know that was probably a bit annoying having unnamed POV's, but that was only to prevent spoilers. From now on, POV's will be named by characters that have been announced. New characters will still be anonymous.**

* * *

><p>[Dani POV]<p>

I slid into the passenger seat with my phone still in hand. It was only a short walk from the apartment entrance to the parking lot and I hadn't even cared to turn it off nor slip it back into my jeans pocket.

"Nice band T," commented the chipper voice I knew all too well.

I replied with a "Thanks," as Rose's cadet blue eyes beamed at my torso in admiration.

She furrowed her eyebrows at a minor detail "Hm? Imagine Dragons?"

In response to her confusion, I told her "They're a band from the 2020's," I then corrected myself "Well, around 2014, to be specific."

"That's nearly sixty years ago. How did you find this?" questioned Rose.

I casually answered "The Hot Topic app."

Rose's eyes widened in surprise "They made _another_ store app?" she questioned in amazement "Geez, I really need to get a new tablet. I'm missing out on all of the updates!" she whined as she reached out to bring the engine to life.

I frowned as I caught a glance of her side profile when she did this "Yes, so you can search how to get yourself ready in the morning," I extended my hands to fix Rose's ponytail and bangs, which she allowed me to do without moving away.

"You're not my mom, Dani!" laughed Rose "Berry is."

I snorted "Spare me the details of your hot gay crush on your roommate."

At that, Rose gasped "You know I don't have a crush on her! We're just friends!" she argued as she swatted my hands away.

I smiled a shit-eating grin, satisfied that I was able to make the little girl flustered.

Well, it wasn't exactly correct to call Rose a little girl. She was thin like me, but shorter than the average woman. She also had pretty childlike features that were only highlighted by those bright blue eyes. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was an adult woman with her own level of maturity. I could tell she tried to show that through her dress, which was always formal.

"So where did you plan to go after dropping me off?" I asked.

A cheeky smile crossed Rose's pink lips. She threw a brief glance at me before putting it back on the road.

I squinted "You're going to that pastel cafe again, aren't you?"

Apparently she was absolutely tickled pink by my deadpan question, which she usually is when she's finding ways to make me shake my head in disappointment.

"You're gonna get a heart attack eating all that sugar," I said.

The brunette laughed "Hey, at least I'd die happy."

"Goddammit Rose."

* * *

><p>The bell jingled to signal my entrance into the store, which hummed with the energy of roaming customers and activity filling its large interior.<p>

Despite the familiar sounds of the store, I could easily pick out a "Good morning, Dani," from my left.

I turned to the waving adult who was crouching before a headphone stand "Hey DJ," I said "Also, it's the afternoon."

DJ checked his watch "Ah, so it is," he said before finishing the exchange of headphones and standing up.

DJ was a coworker of mine here at the Circuit Plus. He was basically supposed to take me under his wing when I was first hired and, well, I never left. He was about my height, which made him pretty tall for an adult like himself. His skin was a caramel color much like his eyes and his short hair was dyed an auburn color. Even though we all refer to him as "he", I know he's not exactly a man. I've gotten close enough to him to realize he was non-binary. Although, I still couldn't specify _which_ non-binary gender he could've been. I didn't dare ask.

DJ sighed "The atmosphere has gotten pretty obnoxious without you around," he said, drumming his thumbs on the counter.

"Eh? What do you mean?" I questioned.

He flicked his eyes over at the other stations where our coworkers stayed "These guys are dancing on the last of my nerves."

"What'd they do?" I asked, turning around in my swivel chair to face him.

"They've been placing bets on who wins in Steam," explained DJ "Then they wanna get pissy over the money they lost."

"Tch, douche bags," I laughed.

"But it's really the way they treat the players who lost that gets to me," continued DJ "I mean, do they even care that some of these players are just teenagers?"

The last word of his sentence snagged on my mind "_Just like Rose_…"

"I don't even wanna try getting into Steam because of these guys," DJ shrugged "As if I were even that great of a gamer, anyway."

"Says you," I pointed towards a broad wall of video games "You've beaten every single puzzle game we've ever gotten in stock, all within three days."

DJ rolled his eyes "Emphasis on "puzzle games"," he then quirked an eyebrow at me "You on the other hand, are pretty good at real games."

I squinted at his choice of words "And what, exactly, is your definition of a _real game_?"

Dj waved his hand around "Oh, y'know, like fighting, battle, shooting-"

"Combat, DJ."

"Thank you, Dani."

I sighed, reclining in my seat "Well, even so, I couldn't get into Steam."

"Because?"

I motioned around us "This job is pretty sweet and keeps a roof over my head."

"And you think you can't balance a career and a hobby?" DJ questioned earnestly.

"No, I just don't want to give that much effort trying."

* * *

><p>[New POV]<p>

The wind blew my raven black hair into my line of vision, shrouding my still figure like a cape. I clutched my jacket closer to my body as I turned around to face my mother standing just outside of the door of the train. I'm sure I looked just as stone faced as she did.

Good.

* * *

><p>[Dani's POV]<p>

I squealed as a fist pounded on the counter just inches before my face, causing me to nearly flail out of my chair.

"You're lucky I kept any of the others from seeing you," grumbled DJ "The boss would've had a fit if he saw you dosing off."

I blinked away the film from my eyes, running my fingers through my thick wavy hair "I…I fell asleep?"

DJ gave me a condescending half-lidded glare "No, you just blinked for a really, _really_ long time," he stood straight back up with his hands resting on his hips "Well, you must have the luck of a lottery winner because you also just so happened to wake up minutes before your shift ended."

I smiled, looking at the clock above us "No kidding?"

"I wish I was."

Some guilt pooled into my gut at the sound of the adult's sour tone "Sorry for leaving the heavy work to you."

DJ waved me off "Ah, it's no big deal," he said "C'mon, I'll walk you home."

He jut out his elbow in a gentlemanly manner, as if expecting me to hook my own arm around his.

"Thanks, but no thanks," I said, standing up "It's not that long of a walk."

As I made my way over to end my shift, DJ urged "Are you sure about that? It's pretty late."

"I'll be fine," I reassured him, swiping my card over the slot to establish my departure.

"Oh, okay," said DJ without sounding too convinced "Goodnight."

"G'night," I said.

When I left the store, I planned to remove my uniform jacket and tie it around my waist like I usually do, but a chill nipped at my skin and only urged me to keep it on my shoulders, no matter how ugly it was.

Even though it wasn't a long walk from work to the apartment, I still wished Rose could pick me up again. Some of the drowsiness from my unplanned nap was dragging down on my body like weights. The darkness of the night sky didn't help either. It only triggered my internal clock even more and tempted me to fall back into slumber.

Suddenly, the bright flash of light caused me to jump fully into wake. It turned out to be a passing car that illuminated the sidewalk for me, showing that I had nearly passed my own apartment in my haze.

I turned around and walked back a few steps to the door. As I entered the warmth of the building, my lungs instantly drew a deep breath to relish in the comfortable temperature. God, I never want to leave this apartment.

I began to fiddle with the keys, but then paused when I caught the faint image of the woman in the glass window. She was rather tall for a woman, nearing the average man's height. Her body was thin, making her curves small and minute. The woman's skin had the pallor of paper, even around her thin lips. Her dark brown hair was in short waves that highlighted her equally dark eyes. The band T-shirt she wore sagged on her small perky breasts while her long legs adorned a pair of jean mini shorts and black knee high boots.

"So you even gawk at your own reflection?"

I yelped at the sound of the familiar female voice. I hadn't even noticed anyone else had stepped inside. Even if I had, I would have never expected it to be the woman from earlier.

"If you don't mind, Doll face, I'd like to get inside my own house," the brunette woman said as she smoothly unlocked the door for us both with her own key.

Not willing to waste energy trying to win back my dignity, I decided to keep my mouth shut. Again, I was bent on not letting this stranger get to me. I just couldn't believe I was running into this chick twice in one day. However, I couldn't deny that I was entranced by the way her hips rocked side to side as she walked.

The woman rang the elevator and it opened for us instantly "So what's your floor, Doll face?" she asked as she stepped in and positioned herself before the button panel.

By now, I had gotten heated "My name's not "Doll face", alright? It's Dani."

"And I'm Ariana, now what's your floor?" she said with a shrug.

I growled in frustration, but muttered a "Ten."

Even though she cooperated and pressed the number in for me without another insult, I couldn't help but let a muttered "Like your pants size," slip through.

I bit my tongue immediately after finishing the last syllable, but it was much too late. The statement had clearly reached her ears.

The woman turned to me with a prominent frown and irritation burning in her vibrant brown eyes "It's called ass, Doll face. Maybe one day, you'll get one."

The part of me that wasn't horribly stung by her insult was glad that I had vexed her "Is this how treat every stranger you meet?"

"Just the ones who manage to get under my skin," said Ariana.

I was pretty confident that I had won the argument as I wasn't phased by the comeback at all, even though the previous one did graze my ego a bit. I caught a glance over her shoulder and saw she had rang the 32nd button.

"You live on the 32nd floor?!" I gasped before I could stop the sentence from flying out of my mouth.

Ariana followed my glance "Yeah."

"But that's, like, a penthouse!" I said.

"It _is_ a penthouse," confirmed the woman in a casual tone.

Still shocked, I said "But you're so young, how did you get it?"

Ariana smirked "Special services," she purred with a provocative look in her eyes that sent a shiver between my thighs.

"Re-really…?"

The brunette frowned "No!" she snapped "You actually believed me?"

Flustered by the scolding, I began to stutter in a panic "No, I mean, it's just, it seemed like the only possible way-" I wish I had the common sense to actually summon a reasonable excuse. You would think a grown woman would have at least that much common sense

"Geez, learn to take a goddamned joke," she groaned, running an anguished hand down her face before fixing me with a condescending glare "It's my house. I live there and I paid for it," she then inclined her head "Well, I should say my housemate and I paid for it."

"You have a housemate?" I questioned.

A dangerously mischievous look glazed over her eyes suddenly "That's right," suddenly Ariana stepped up closer to me, causing me to take a step back "And guess what…" Then she did it again, holding me with a sultry gaze. Before I knew it, the cold steel of the door had touched my back "She gets to see all of this," she teasingly ghosted her body over mine "All hours of the day, but for you, this is only a sneak peak."

She then sprawled her fingertips on my sternum and gave me a gentle push, just enough so I'd step backwards out of the elevator and get the chance to watch as the door closed before her magnificent figure.

"Goddamn."

* * *

><p>[Ariana's POV]<p>

I have no idea why I liked teasing women like that. It was just too satisfying, especially with that Dani girl. I could tell the minute she started drooling over me that I would have a fun time with her. Of course, I didn't expect to see her the second time that night. I was a little bit afraid that somehow I would have to pay back for how I teased her that morning, but she was just as unprepared as she was that morning. I couldn't believe she actually believed me when I made that hooker claim. She was probably just turned on, though.

It's a mystery as to where my flirtatiousness could've come from. Jane says I could power all of Florida just on my libido alone. Of course I thanked her for the compliment.

I entered the apartment and immediately called out for Jane. I was met with silence. I then called out for Jacquelline, but the TechPet was absent as well.

"_Is she still in Steam?_" I wondered "_Geez, it's been hours._"

I was pretty disappointed not to be able to come home to my companion, but I had to admit, she was probably having much more fun than me.

* * *

><p>[Dani's POV]<p>

Another morning passed with me waking up an empty space in my bed that only seemed to grow with every day. There was never anyone to occupy that space, but with the countless romances occurring in my surroundings, it seemed only necessary a woman my age have a body to fall asleep next to at night.

Despite so, I pulled myself out of bed and took a brief shower. Realizing I didn't have work that day, I pulled on a casual ensemble of a black spaghetti strap and purple pajama pants. As for my hair, a simple scrunchy was all it took to complete my look of the stereotypical housewife.

By the time I was all done, my appetite had started to wear on my sanity. I started to venture into my kitchen when the loud bang on the wall beside me knocked a picture down.

Startled, I jumped, primarily because that was the wall that separated me from the _empty_ apartment next door. I should had just minded my own business and let the strange incident be, but the noise was just too loud to ignore and brush off as nothing. Also, if it _was_ an accident that had happened, I could blame no one but myself if I got labelled as the good-for-nothing neighbor that did nothing to help.

I ventured out into the hallway and heard moaned curses coming from the cracked open door of the apartment next to mine.

Even though it was ajar, I took the courtesy of knocking "Hello?"

Whoever was inside was too preoccupied with her pain to notice me.

"Is anyone in here?" It was a redundant question, but what else could I say when I entered the apartment without permission?

I took no more than a few steps before I met the woman.

She had apparently fallen since she was crouching while holding her knee in pain. She didn't seem displeased by my entrance. If anything, she seemed slightly embarrassed.

"Ah, sorry for the commotion," she said "I must have scared you."

There was an accent behind her voice, which I assumed was either Korean or Chinese.

"No, it's okay," I reassured her, reaching out a hand to help her up "I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

When she stood up, I could see that she was short in height, but still taller than Rose. Despite so, she had an air of grace and power around her. She had silky black hair that rested at her hips with straight bangs. Behind her red framed glasses were elegant dark eyes that had a minute slant to them emphasized by beautifully applied eyeliner. Her overall appearance indicated to me that she may have been oriental, but not quite.

"Thank you," she said "I've been up all night trying to get everything unpacked at set up around here. At this point, I'm exhausted."

"All night?" I was sure I would have noticed her on the way home "When did you move in?"

The woman scratched the back of her head, looking off to the side "Oh, perhaps two…three in the morning," she must have seen the face I had made, because she said "Well, I moved in from Korea so the time zones were strange."

Upon hearing that, I had my idea confirmed that she was indeed Korean.

"Well in that case, I don't blame you for feeling drained," I said "Why don't I help you unpack?"

The woman waved me off "Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm fine."

I shrugged "It's alright. I don't have any plans for today, anyway," I said "By the way, my name's Dani."

The woman smiled "I'm Marceline," she said.

* * *

><p>"Hey Marceline, where did you want these candles?" I received no answer as I held the two heavy masses in my hand "Marceline?" When silence answered me again, I stood up from the box and advanced towards the room where I last saw her.<p>

"Marceline, I found these-" I paused when I saw the woman in question flat on her back. Her chest rose and fell as she softly breathed in her heavy sleep. I could only guess that her body had finally given up after overworking herself.

I walked up to her, crouched down and lifted her into my arms. I figured it would be an easy task seeing as she was this petite, but I found her body mass to be very heavy. I faltered as I struggled not to drop her, causing her hot pink turtleneck to ride up her torso. Beneath the ironically feminine clothing item revealed a chiseled six pack etched into her smooth skin.

"_Well, that explains it_," I thought to myself.

I shouldn't have been all that surprised by the feature. Her turtle neck was sleeveless, which already had showed me her toned arms. Her black yoga pants also showed off her equally toned and curvaceous legs. Also in contrast to her small frame, she was rather busty.

Somehow, I managed to carry her all the way to her bed, which I had made for her a while ago. I set her on top of the red sheets and then continued to carefully slide my arms from beneath her body without waking her up again. I could finally relax when I stood straight back up again, but then I noticed her glasses were still on. I reached out and removed them from her eyes and set them on the dresser.

In that moment, I was able to see her beautiful eyelashes flutter slightly in her sleep which added greatly to the overall elegance of her face.

The sensation of my cell phone vibrating against my thigh brought me out of my hypnotic state. I decided that was my cue to leave Marceline to rest her body before I could make any more noise to wake her up.

It was only after I made sure to lock the door behind me that I pulled out my cell phone. I didn't want to leave the apartment unlocked like it had been before I made my unannounced visit.

Of course I knew it was a text from Berry before I could even click the screen on. She was the type of person who opted to send a quick text to get a point across as opposed to Rose, whose talkative nature always managed to find an excuse to call me.

_Berry: Rose and I are stopping by Potpourri Cafe. Do you want anything?_

_Me: she's going there again?! thats 3 days in a row!_

_Berry: Clearly you haven't had their chamomile tea._

I shook my head at Berry's tolerance for Rose's incomprehensible sweet tooth, but I couldn't blame her. Rose had the woman wrapped around her finger and was most likely completely oblivious to it.

_Me: a caramel latte would be cool_

_Berry: Coming right up._

* * *

><p><strong>And the author makes a cameo when they're too lazy to make an original background character or fish for a Game Grumps reference, honhonhon aren't I clever. Don't worry about DJ taking up the spotlight. He's literally just there to move the conversation along.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry guys, my MAC isn't working that well so I've been updating on Google Drive. If you want faster updates, feel free to subscribe to my Archive of Our Own account. It's easier for me to update there.**

**Oh! And just a quick head's up; any characters that are not the fem!Grumps/Markiplier are complete OC's and any resemblance they hold to a real person is totally coincidental.**

**With the exception of DJ.**

**Dat me :3**

* * *

><p>[Jane's POV]<p>

"Would you do the honors, Jacqueline?"

"Gladly."

The lime-feathered bird perched herself onto my coin-wielding palm. Upon making contact with the golden coins, a mint green bubble encircled them and disappeared into a flurry of pixels.

"How many points does that make?" I questioned.

"A total of 347," answered Jacqueline as she nudged her wing at her eyepatch. I had to get her one after a virus caused one of her eyes to malfunction. As a result, it was an unsettling color of scarlet red. Despite Jacqueline's practical personality, she actually requested that I get something to cover it up with.

I sighed a breath of exhaustion "Mighty impressive," I commented "Maybe now I have enough to get the emerald flower broach."

"Jane, wouldn't you rather save up your points for a weapon upgrade?" suggested the petite bird.

"Hm? But I already upgraded my rifle no less than a month ago," I said.

"True, but it just seems rather trivial to spend your points on accessories for your Steam attire," argued Jacqueline.

Going into Steam, a player can't just wear their typical street clothes. We're actually given a set of clothes appropriate for the games. I based mine more on mobility, which is why I wore a mint green pleated skirt, but I also wore a black corset for protection around my torso. The remainder of the outfit was more fashion orientated as time went on. The bustier of my dress was a long-sleeved white blouse. Beneath the skirt, I wore black garters and black knee boots. Even in my hair sat a pinned hat with a green feather in homage to Jacqueline.

"Talking to your TechPet? Must be pretty lonely."

A warmth of irritation burned at the back of my neck upon hearing the familiar Texan accent. Of course it had to be none other than Alphonse.

I couldn't help but turn to face the platinum blond approaching me with the smug grin on his face and hindsight dancing in his earth brown eyes. To make matters worse, I took note that he wasn't alone. He had brought his three companions along with him.

"It's probably because she doesn't have her dyke with her," muttered Quinn.

I knew exactly who he was referring to "Excuse me, but I don't have any time to waste on you."

"Well if you came back to Steam, you must've come back to fuck with us," commented Leon with a smirk.

"Especially since we told you that we never wanted to see you here again," added Quinn.

These men weren't strangers to me, nor were they strangers to Ariana. As you can tell, we didn't have the best relationship with these four.

Alphonse was the median of the group. In contrast to the others' personalities, he was just a simple young man from Texas, but he also served as the mouth since he was pretty good with words. The pale man with the gunmetal eyes and the ink black hair was Quinn. He's a rather frightening one and I'm pretty sure that he is self-aware of that fact. I, unfortunately, know first hand just how dangerous he can be. The tallest member with the blue hair and glasses is Jeremy. I didn't think he was much of a threat, but his high intellect actually makes him all the more intimidating. He was able to absorb an obscene amount of information about someone almost like a psychic. Lastly, there was the youth of the group, Leon. To match his tussled ginger hair, the boy was clearly still a young college student with a hyperactive personality. Had he not been so crude, it would be easy to find him cute.

"I don't think I have to tell you for a second time that Steam doesn't belong to you," I declared.

Alphonse scoffed "Tch, do you think we're scared of you now that you don't have the dyke to call on?"

Jeremy adjusted his glasses "Please, we were never scared of you to begin with," he said, correcting Alphonse's statement.

I took a step back and pulled my rifle up closer to my body as I noticed that one by one, the men were preparing their own weapons.

"Stupid little girl," Alphonse said, cocking his own gun "You should've known not the step out of the kitchen where you belong."

* * *

><p>[Dani's POV]<p>

"Hello? Marceline?" I called as I knocked on the door.

There was a muffled "Just a moment…" on the other side.

I had actually been standing at the door for more than a moment. When I knocked on the door the first few times, I had just assumed she didn't hear me. Now I had opted to call her name.

I was holding a bagful of donuts from the Potpourri Cafe that I planned on sharing with the woman. The idea of bumping into Rose at the cafe and receiving an earful from her was enough to make my stomach turn. Luckily, I hadn't.

Within a few minutes, the door opened "Sorry about the wait," greeted Marceline.

"No, it's oka-" I halted my sentence when I moved the box to catch an eyeful of Marceline.

The raven-black hair that rested at her hips before was now barely reaching her collar bone.

"You brought food from Potpourri?" she gasped. She clearly hadn't caught sight of my gaze because her dark eyes were widened and fixed on the box in my hand. I could practically see the hearts fluttering about in her pupils like butterflies.

"Heh, seems like that place has really gotten popular around here, huh?" I commented as she stepped aside to let me in.

"Yeah, I stopped by there before I moved in the other night," explained Marceline as she closed the door behind me and followed me to her kitchen "I struck up this conversation with a girl there who was pretty eager to tell me that the place just opened up."

As I seated myself in a chair, I asked "This girl didn't happen to be a tiny brunette with a Doctor Who satchel, did it?"

Marceline quirked a brow as she approached the refrigerator "How did you know?"

"Psychic powers," I drawled, waving my fingers around in a mystical motion "Nah, she's just a childhood friend of mine. Her name is Rose."

"Oh really?" said Marceline as she took a pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator and retrieved two cups from the counter beside her "How did she get a Doctor Who satchel? That show hasn't been around since-"

"The 20's, I know," I finished her sentence "It's one of the antiques she inherited from her dad, I think."

"That's amazing," said Marceline as she came back to the kitchen table with two tall glasses of lemonade.

After I watched her seat herself adjacent to me, I finally decided to address the elephant in the room "Did you cut your hair?"

Marceline's eyes squinted slightly in confusion for a split second before she said "Oh yes, I nearly forgot to tell you," she then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink hair tie "I planned to cut my hair when I moved out of Korea."

Now it was my turn to be confused "Why did you wait until _after_ you moved?"

Marceline hesitated her answer as she tied the remainder of her hair into a birdtail, leaving her neatly trimmed bangs to hover over her eyebrows "Believe me when I say it was more than just a cosmetic decision," she said in a slightly more sober tone "The cutting of the hair can symbolize letting go of the past and going through a new transition. That's my reason."

I let her words sink in as I digested what she meant by that. There was a past she was trying to get rid of, she claimed. Somehow, I understood her on a much deeper level than I had expected to.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing without my glasses, either," she said, fishing out a chocolate donut from the box. It wasn't until she said this that I noticed the lack of red frames adorning her face.

"Those are just reading glasses," she said with a grin "I just can't bring myself to toughen up and put on contacts."

I snickered "And yet you can put on eyeliner?" I questioned, grabbing a glazed donut.

"Putting on eye makeup is much different from poking my actual eye," Marceline claimed.

Her attention was stolen when her tablet buzzed with a notification alarm. Casually, she reached over to check it.

I had my tablet condensed in a Clove. It was essentially designed like a wristwatch, but it held all of the features of a Clover tablet.

Ironically, mine began to ring no more than a second after Marceline's tablet went off.

I opened up the message and a blue screen was displayed before me.

"_Dear Danielle Avidan_…"

The lump of donut caught in my throat.

* * *

><p>[Jane's POV]<p>

I leaned against the front door of our home, every muscle in my body aching with each breath I took.

"_Damn_," I thought "_Those boys really did a number on me. I should really learn to just walk away from a fight when I see one._"

The apartment building was pretty quiet. I assumed it must have been pretty late in the night and everyone was probably asleep. Then there was me; the curfew-breaker.

I carefully opened the door to my apartment and stepped inside of the darkness. Once I was all the way inside, I felt Jacqueline fly off of my shoulder. I assumed she had used her enhanced sight to find a comfortable place to perch for the night.

Not having that advantage, I had to feel my way around the walls to navigate my way around the home. I knew I had passed the bedroom when I heard the soft sounds of Ariana shifting around in bed. My lips curled in a smile at the familiarity.

A delighted laugh that bordered the line of a squeal and a bear hug.

That's what I woke up to the next morning as supplied by Ariana.

"Miss me much?" I asked.

In an incredulous tone, my housemate scoffed "You were gone for the better half of the day! It's not like I had anyone around to keep me entertained."

I ran my fingers through her hair, the mint green nail polish contrasting with her warm chestnut locks "Sorry. The fact that we're not next door to our friends anymore just completely went over my head."

"Hey, it's nothing to apologize for," said Ariana, shrugging "There have been days where we'd be in Steam for nearly twenty hours."

"Still, I know it's not really fair leaving you all alone," I said "I can leave Jacqueline here to keep you company."

"Thanks, but I think I'll just try to reconnect with my friends back at home," Ariana stood up from the bed and stretched her arms above her head, her joints popping in the process.

Despite her laid-back demeanor, I knew the true feelings behind the front. The move to Tampa was hard on her, having originally lived in West Palm Beach all her life. She kept a strong face the entire time, talking about how excited she was to be offered these luxuries due to our origins, but I knew that what she would be leaving behind didn't match up to the wealth we would be given.

In the midst of my thoughts, I noticed a muffled rumbling sound outside of our apartment. It was pretty difficult to ignore and the look of Ariana's face confirmed it.

"What could be going on so early in the morning?" I questioned underneath my breath.

I stood up from the bed and left the bedroom. Ariana, only in her undergarments, stayed behind to find a robe.

Of course, normal residents of this apartment would simply groan about the abundance of noise from their neighbors, but on our floor, the other penthouses around us were vacant.

When I opened the front door of our apartment, I was welcomed to a sight of several harty men carrying boxes and various luggage, followed by four young women around my own age.

"Looks like you and I will be sharing a home again, Rose," said a youthful brunette walking side by side with a petite girl "And you'll be even closer to the campus."

"Perfect!" chirped the girl I assumed was Rose "No more rushing to catch the train early in the morning."

"Are we getting new neighbors?"

Ariana's voice nearly made me cry out in surprise when she appeared beside me in her (see-through) robe. Regardless, I answered "Seems so."

Ariana squinted "But I thought in order to live here, you had to be…"

An aggravated whine distracted me from my housemate's statement. Following behind more men carrying luggage was a duo consisting of a tall, thin woman in black and an Asian woman in a white jacket.

"I can't believe I have to unpack all over again," whined the Asian woman "How could they have gotten my floor number wrong?"

"If it's any consolation, I'll help you unpack here again," replied the taller female in black.

The Asian woman sighed in relief "You're a life-saver, Dani."

Suddenly, I felt Ariana jerk her head in their direction, her copper brown eyes widening and her lips pursed.

"Ari?" I questioned.

She didn't react instantly, but when she did, she simply said "Hm? Yes?"

Assuming the entire thing was my imagination, I just said "Nothing."

* * *

><p>[Berry's POV]<p>

"So, why did we move here?" questioned Rose.

The two of us had unpacked the necessities of our new home and we were sitting in the kitchen with warm cups of cocoa in our hands. It was already nearing the evening and somehow, it had slipped my mind that I had never told the younger girl why this change had been made.

"You know who our parents are, right?" Just with that vague question, I didn't even have to elaborate who "our" included.

"Of course I do, Berry," said Rose after taking a sip of her beverage "I mean, our _real_ fathers."

"Right," I said, taking her emphasis on the word as confirmation "But were you ever told why they're not with us?"

A shadowed look clouded her blue eyes as she stared into the steaming mug "Yeah," she said "My adoptive parents told me my real father's name was Ross. They said that he donated his DNA so that he could have kids some day, but...he died before then."

I couldn't help the disgusted sound that escaped my throat "Tch, so they lied to you, too."

Rose looked up at me in bemusement and slight offense, so I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Let me tell you what really happened," I motioned around us, despite being confined in our kitchen "Remember that Dani and her new friend also got to live here?"

Rose nodded.

"All of us have one thing in common; our fathers were popular in the media of their era," I explained "At some point in time, they were offered to participate in a special project, along with several other celebrities of their time," I took a sip of my cocoa "Funny how their society took the experiment lightly enough to advertise it via celebrities and pop icons," I muttered with a bitter tone "The project, though, was anything but light. It was literally an experiment of reincarnation."

Rose didn't speak, but I knew she was awestruck by what I had just said.

"We are the reincarnations of our fathers, tweaked and altered so that factors like our sex were changed," I continued bluntly "That's the truth."

There was a moment of silence in which I let Rose chew on the information given to her. It was heavy and I didn't want to overwhelm her. She only knew an alternate version of the truth before. Now I had changed her entire perspective within these few minutes I had been talking.

At some point, Rose spoke up again "But wait," she said "That still doesn't explain why we're being treated like this."

A hitched breath leaked past my lips "As I said before, the media took this whole experiment pretty lightly, and they still do," I said "So to add to the materializing of the entire thing, we're given upscale housing and income just for existing," I stopped myself "Well, there is one condition."

Rose cocked a brow "What is it?"

I nodded my head in the direction of the Steam Engine that was still encased in the package from the store "We have to play the game."

* * *

><p>[Ariana's POV]<p>

"Well, it looks like you won't be so lonely, anymore, hm?"

I looked up at Jane. She was preparing to go into Steam again, judging by the Steam Engine in her palm.

I grinned "I guess not."

* * *

><p><strong>Next to Marciplier, JaneTrain is definitely my favorite girl here. She's freaking adorable. And she knows how to handle those OC fuckboys with class. That's my girl.<strong>


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